How 'Star Wars' Changed Toys Forever, new Netflix series

Contributed by

Joshua Rowe@what3vo

Dec 30, 2017 @ 11:11pm

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The shroud of the journey of how Star Wars toys came to be has fallen with an episode of the Netflix original's 'The Toys That Made Us'.

It all began with a little toy company based in Cincinnati, Ohio betting on an unproven science fiction franchise that we would all soon know and love as Star Wars. George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars universe, had been rejected by every major toy company in the country and was given only one hope by Kenner, the toy company that would go on to design and manufacture all Star Wars toys for the entirety of the original trilogy.

Hasbro would later acquire the licensing for all Star Wars toys once the prequel trilogy started coming to life in late '90's. The former CEO admitted to screwing up the deal when he was forced to renegotiate with Lucasfilm years later.

Along with the captivating footage and stories they show you, you'll also get to see a close-up of what The Guinness Book of World Records calls the largest Star Wars toy and memorabilia collection in the galaxy. Steve Sansweet from northern California created Rancho Obi-Wan which houses over 400,000 pieces spanning all eras of the Star Wars saga. Sansweet states that the collection is "for cultural preservation as well as personal amusement."

The documentary also explores knock-off versions of Star Wars toys on an international level, many of which have also been collected by Sansweet.

For fans of other toys from iconic television shows and product lines from the '70's and '80's, make sure to check out the other three episodes for information on the upbringings of G.I. Joe, He-Man, and Barbie.